


i'm not that good (at goodbyes)

by loveyouright



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Best Friends, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Pranks, bffsies sekai and baekchen, this was unnecessarily kinda emo and im sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-17
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2019-03-06 00:47:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13399854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loveyouright/pseuds/loveyouright
Summary: Prompt #133Title:i'm not that good (at goodbyes)Rating:PG-13Word Count:5,000+Warnings:some swearing?Summary:Jongin is tired of Jongdae pathetically pining for his best friend, Baekhyun. As an awkward wingman in his teens, he can only think of pranks to push his older bro forward. Sehun just gets dragged along.





	i'm not that good (at goodbyes)

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note: yikes i'm so sorry to the prompter if i butchered this. i got kinda emo writing this so it was hard to keep it light and happy but i hope this is ok!! (title is taken from store by carly rae jepsen (buy e·mo·tion side b on itunes))

Sehun. Was. Tired.

There must be a law somewhere dictating the illegality of dragging your best friend around for eight-plus hours for your own selfish agenda and Sehun was going to find that law and sue Jongin.

“But Sehun, it’s not for me, it’s for my brother!” he had pleaded, eyes wide giving him the full puppy look he knew Sehun couldn’t say no to. _“But Sehun, it’s not for me it’s for my brother!”_ he mocked in a high pitched voice, stamping his foot angrily. Goddamnit Jongin and his adorable puppy eyes and persistent will to get his older brother laid.

“You don’t understand, they’re in love,” Jongin had said with a frustrated look in his eyes.

Oh, Sehun understood. He understood very well that it was well past 2:00 AM and he should be at home, curled in his bed fast asleep instead of helping a bunch of idiots in love.

Yes, they were older than him.

Yes, he was still in high school.

No, that didn’t mean he had to respect them. Oblivious. Goddamn. Pining. Idiots. The reason he was losing sleep, because Jongin was such a good little brother and he was such a good best friend. He hoped Jongin appreciated his sacrifice. Because the pair of oblivious idiots sure as hell wouldn’t appreciate being locked in a shed for the night. At least, not quite yet. Ah well, love requires sacrifices.

And Jongin too -- he should be grateful for his help because Sehun had caught a glimpse of the list Jongin wrote entitled “Get Jongdae Laid” -- before he very graciously decided to step in (read: was coerced by Jongin’s puppy eyes) and lend a hand -- and the only idea on the page was ‘tie Sehun to a giant firecracker that sends him to the sky and when explodes it spells out “marry me baekhyun - jongdae”’. Jongin truly was an idiot. That idea would never have worked (obviously) and Sehun would have walked away with (best case) no best friend or (worst case scenario) a third-degree burn.

He whistled softly to himself as he walked away from the shed swinging the key ring around his index finger, satisfied with his charitable deed for the week.

Jongin better thank him.

  


-

  


It’s not like Jongdae had been in love with Baekhyun for five years or anything like that. Obviously not. That wasn’t the case. He hadn’t been pining after his best friend for half a decade (that was cliche, overdone, boring, the thought made his heart twist), and he wasn’t jealous that Baekhyun was draped over Chanyeol like that.

Okay, in this case, he really wasn’t.

He knew Baekhyun was just an affectionate person. It was fine, Jongdae was fine. He just really wished that person Baekhyun draped himself over would be him. He turned his head, trying not to focus on Baekhyun’s pretty fingers lying on the nape of Chanyeol’s neck.

“Why don’t you just tell him you like him? It can’t be that hard.”

Jongdae turned to see his little brother, the source of the unbearably smug voice.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about Jongin.” He rolled his eyes. “But yes, it is that hard.”

“So you’re admitting you like him?” Jongin asked at the same time as Sehun piped up, “Brooo not as hard as you are for him!” Cue Jongdae’s disgusted face and high fives and obnoxious laughter from the younger two.

“Sehun, you’re not even a part of this family --”

“But I’m practically married to Jongin!” “Not when he’s practically married to me!” They chorused in unison. Somewhere in the plethora of noise within the house, a loud crash sounded, Sehun and Jongin quickly darted away as Junmyeon’s voice sounded from the kitchen yelling threats to Jongin (something about not having enough money for anymore new household appliances). Chanyeol and Baekhyun’s distinct laughs could be heard, cackling like a pair of monkeys.

Jongdae had no idea where his day went so wrong. “I’m going upstairs.” He replied, stepping away from the duo rather quickly, too tired to deal with his feelings and his nuisance of a little brother.

He could feel a headache coming on and he didn’t want to think about anything for a while, especially topics that started with the letter B -- his feelings for Baekhyun, little Brother(s, if Sehun could be counted), his Borderline academic probation GPA -- ouch, okay enough, there was the headache. He was going to sleep this off and hopefully when he woke up everything would magically be fine. He wouldn’t be stuck with the most painful unrequited crush and it wouldn’t hurt to wrap his arms around Baekhyun while he pretended they were something more than they really were. Maybe when he woke up his one-sided love would magically disappear. That would be convenient. Or, or -- even better, Baekhyun would magically love him back.

Unrealistic. (But that would be really nice.)

“Hey, Jongdae wait up!”

 He was interrupted from his stupor by that voice sending familiar knots in his stomach that he was trying so hard to ignore. He turned to see Baekhyun running towards him like an excited puppy. _Cute_.

 “Where are you going?”

 To get away from you.

 “To get some rest, I’m a little tired.” He smiled gently at the other boy, hoping he would back off and go back to patting Chanyeol’s head or whatever he was doing before Jongdae left the room.

 Baekhyun tilted his head sympathetically. “Are you okay? Do you need me for anything?”

 Jongdae looked around the empty hallway and realized they were alone. I’m gonna need you to step away and leave me alone before I have a heart attack and die, he thought.

 “No, I think I’ll be fine.” He flashed Baekhyun another, what he hoped was a pleasant smile and motioned to walk away.

 “Wait!” Baekhyun exclaimed, grabbing his arm.

 Jongdae nearly jumped out of his skin.

 “Y-yes Baek?”

 “I’ll keep you company while you sleep.” Baekhyun’s face looked a little bashful and Jongdae almost couldn’t bring himself to refuse.

 You see, Jongdae wasn’t completely stupid when it came to Baekhyun, and sleeping together with (the love of his life) his unrequited crush was obviously an idiotic idea.

 Which is why he ended up saying yes like an idiot would.

 Because he _was_ an idiot who couldn’t say no to Baekhyun.

 (And Baekhyun knew it.)

 Sleeping with Baekhyun in his arms, nosing his way into the crook of his neck was the worst idea Jongdae had ever had in his life. _Shit shit shit shit shit_ , he cursed himself. He was hyper-aware of everything Baekhyun did, senses overloaded and too excited to sleep -- from the way he whimpered in his sleep to the way he occasionally shifted in his arms every few moments. None of this was new to Jongdae, having memorized Baekhyun’s sleeping habits. But every moment was electrifying and he was enthralled by Baekhyun’s sweet demeanour.

 He was hypnotized with the way he moved, slow yet erratic, calm breaths taken, the steady rise and fall of his chest.

 It was mesmerizing.

 Jongdae couldn’t stop himself -- he leaned over Baekhyun and kissed his forehead.

 “I love you,” he whispered.

 Baekhyun shifted and his breathing suddenly halted as he opened one eye and looked back at him. Jongdae’s heart jumped out of his chest and his mouth was suddenly dry.

 “What did you just say?” He asked groggily.

 “Err -- uhhhhhhhhhhhhh,” Jongdae said really intelligibly, grasping for a plausible excuse. “I love Kim Yuna --  you know, the figure skater?”

 “She’s really amazing,” he added quickly.

 Baekhyun gave him an undecipherable look. “I should’ve known.” He said lightly. “Why are you holding my hand?”

 “Well, uh, that’s just really -- it’s a long story you know? You kind of shift around a lot in bed and I was just trying to make sure you didn’t fall off the bed or accidentally injure yourself in your sleep and I just really -” he stopped, glancing at the unamused look on Baekhyun’s face. “Uh no homo?”

 Something fell across Baekhyun’s face, a look Jongdae couldn’t understand, before he flashed an easy smile at Jongdae, calming the other boy’s anxiousness.

 “Yeah. No homo dude.”

  
  


\---

  
  


Jongdae woke up feeling way too hot, sweat pooling around his neck. There was a leg wrapped around his waist and a too hot breath puffing at his neck.

He suddenly recalled the events before he fell asleep. Was that - Baekhyun? HIs heart rate began to increase and he could feel sweat gathering in his palms.

He turned his head to slowly look at the figure tightly wrapped around him before he recognized the familiar profile.

Jongin--?

His heart fell. So it wasn’t Baekhyun. As he glanced around the room he noticed a sticky note laying on the side table.

 

_Chanyeol needed a ride home so I took him home while you were sleeping_

_Love, Baek xx_

 

So it was just that. It was no big deal.

Then why did he feel so disappointed?

He tried to ignore the pang tugging at his heart, so lost in a sudden bout of melancholy, he almost missed another body half laying on the bed, snoring softly.

He let out a shrill scream, jolting the two prone bodies out of their dormant state.

Sehun?

 _"Sehun?_ ” He yelled, voice hoarse, “How did both of you end up in my room?”

 The two boys looked at him sleepily, slightly disoriented.

 “Please... Why are you yelling so loudly? It’s 3 AM, do you have any sense of decency?” Sehun yawned.

 Jongdae softened his eyes. Of course, Sehun would be sleepy, the poor kid was probably being dragged around by Jongin in another one of his unfortunate schemes.

 He reached out to smoothen Sehun’s ruffled hair affectionately.

 “Sorry,” he mumbled apologetically, “I was just caught off guard. But really -- why are you guys here?”

 He caught Jongin exchanging a shifty glance with Sehun.

 “Um, the sink --” “The doorknob in his --” They started at the same time.

 “Enough.” He cut them off. “It’s ok, I really don’t need to know.”

 “No, but --” Sehun started and was interrupted quickly by Jongin.

 “He said he _doesn’t need to know._ ”

 “Oh. Oh. Yeah, right. It’s nothing really, Jongin just missed you a lot. The loser wanted to sleep in the same room as his older brother, that’s all.”

 Jongdae felt a surge of warmth at those words as he smiled and ruffled their hair affectionately as he pulled them to go back to sleep, tugging at the sheets to encompass them all.

  
  


\---

  
  


Jongin could be a persistent brat when he wanted to.

 “ _Please_ , please please, please? Jongdae please could you call Baek over? I really need help with this math assignment.” Cue dramatic pout and puppy eyes. “Please, it’s _killing me_.”

Jongdae rolled his eyes. “Nice try Jongin. I know the only thing you two do when Baek comes over to tutor you is play Overwatch. I’m not stupid, and I know you need to actually study. I’m not letting him come over.”

“I swear I actually need help this time! If I wanted to play Overwatch I’d just invite Sehun over. Please Dae --  I don’t want to ask you or Junmyeon because I know you guys will yell at me since we’re related,” he added hastily, seeing Jongdae open his mouth in protest.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five.

“ _Fine._ ” Jongdae was already taking out his phone. “I know Sehun doesn’t even play Overwatch you little brat,” he muttered under his breath.

  _Nice_. It’s not like Jongdae wanted to see Baekhyun as well.

How convenient that Baekhyun happened to not have anything on his schedule allowing him to come over as soon as possible. Grinning widely when he stepped through the door, Jongdae sent him a glare (if it was possible for Jongdae’s face to contort into a proper glare) as soon as they made eye-contact. 

“I hope you know Jongin has a test to study for,” he said pointedly, “and that you guys _actually_ study.”

Baekhyun just laughed it off and blew him a kiss as he walked by and patted Jongdae’s butt reassuringly (something that Jongdae liked more than he should’ve).

“Where’s Nini?” he asked. “Don’t worry so much _mom_ , we’ll study.” He winked.

“He said he was going to invite Sehun over.” he replied softly, a little irritated.

They were so not going to study, Jongdae thought to himself.

How ironic --  he thought drily, a few minutes later when Jongin’s door was closed suddenly behind on him and Baekhyun, and the handle wouldn’t turn -- that he really didn’t invite Baek here to study.

“I forgot to tell you this morning,” Jongin yelled, voice muffled through the wooden frame of the door, “But my lock is broken! Payback for dumping that soy sauce in my coke that other time.. But mostly this is also for your own good! Have fun!”

Jongdae grit his teeth as he yelled threats as well as he could through a block of wood. “The soy sauce? That was four years ago! And it was an _accident_.”

He pounded on the door. “Hey -- what do you mean my own good? What does that mean?”

Silence.

“Jongin. Jongin. _Jongin?!_ Jongin? Sehun? Help us please?!”

Jongdae voice came to a halt when he felt a light touch on his shoulder. He whirled around to face Baekhyun, suddenly hyper-aware of the fact that he was in the room. They were alone. In the room. Baekhyun was here. He was alone. Oh my god he was alone in the room with Baekhyun they were alone together _oh my god oh my god oh my god_ \--

Baekhyun placed a soft hand on his face.

Jongdae felt his breath being caught as it struggled to leave his lungs. He couldn’t breathe -- not with Baek so close, touching him like _that_. That was it. This is how he was going to die. He’d lived a good life. His only regret was not telling Baekhyun he loved him and how much he wanted to be with him and --

“--you okay? Are you okay Dae?” Jongdae grabbed Baekhyun’s hands (wow) and immediately pushed them away.

“They - they -” he protested spluttering.

“They what?”

“They locked us.”

“Yes?”

“In here!”

“Yeah.”

“Together!”

Baekhyun frowned, his eyebrows knitting together. “Is that so bad Jongdae?”

“N-n-no-?” He curses his stutter.

Baekhyun relaxes. “Me too. I don’t mind being locked here as long as it’s with you,” he admits, his cheeks colouring lightly.

Jongdae can feel his face heating up. He turns away and smiles, before suddenly jumping up at the sudden music that fills the room, the familiar bars already giving him a headache.

_You’re on the phone with your girlfriend she’s upset, she’s going off about something that you said, she doesn’t get your humour like I do ~_

His head snaps to the source of the noise, Sehun’s bluetooth speaker he always leaves in Jongin’s room. “Sehun? Why?! Why are you doing this to me?”

Baekhyun is softly singing along and Jongdae thinks it’s the most adorable thing he’s seen. He could just die now.

“She wears short skirts I WEAR T-SHIRTS!” Baekhyun starts yelling and if Jongdae wasn’t so whipped he thinks it’d probably be the most obnoxious thing he’s heard. But as fate would have it, Jongdae is hopelessly enamoured. The dumbass thinks it’s the most endearing thing ever. Sehun and Jongin can practically hear his brain waves broadcasting this lovesick sentiment from outside the room and they make gagging motions  
  


\---

  
  


Four hours getting locked in a room? Four hours to come up with a good move in retaliation. Well, two hours really, if he subtracted all the time he spent thinking about Baekhyun. It was nice. Just being with Baekhyun. He smiled, thinking about how Baekhyun lay on his lap as he carded his fingers through his hair and they just _were_. Maybe he was being too idealistic but he never thought it was possible to love someone so much that just sitting in a room with them was the happiest moment ever.

When they are let out of the room by a repairman called by Junmyeon a mere Four Hours Later, Jongdae is cackling. If Jongin wants to start a prank war, he is going to get. A. Prank. War. Baekhyun would say he was too nice to pull any real pranks, but Jongdae knows in his heart that he is an absolute Prank God.

Which is why Jongin walks out of the shower one day with his hair coloured a bright pink.

A shrill scream sounds from the bathroom one morning. Another typical day at the Kim household  
  


\---

  
  


Jongdae’s not sure why he starts avoiding Baekhyun again. He figures it has something to do with his inability to keep close contact with the other boy without his insides playing a very uncomfortable game of Twister. Or his emotions going haywire every time he thinks about Baekhyun. There’s probably some radio wave in the air that’s sending him signals and messing with his brain he thinks.

If he receives another ‘ _i love u, no homo,_ ’ _‘u mean so much to me, not in that way tho haha_ ’ text, Jongdae will launch himself out the window.

So obviously, he does the most logical thing. When in an uncomfortable situation, the obvious thing to do is to remove all sources of discomfort. The uncomfortable situation will no longer be uncomfortable. Jongdae begins ignoring all of Baekhyun’s texts. When Baekhyun calls, he doesn’t pick up. He’s suddenly not home when Baekhyun comes over.

After turning Baekhyun away from the door a fifth time, Junmyeon asks him if he’s ever going to talk to Baekhyun again. “You know the light in your room is on right? He knows you’re in there. You can’t avoid him forever. Just do the mature thing and _talk to him please Jongdae._ ”

Jongdae may be an adult but ‘ _emotional maturity_ ’ and ‘ _coming to term with complicated feelings_ ’ are still foreign terms to him.

It’s not even a week before Jongin and Sehun observe the noticeable lack of Baekhyun in Jongdae’s life.

In their own way, they try to push Jongdae to talk to Baekhyun. “You’re not the only one who hangs out with him,” they tell him. “It’s awkward like this, he’s also our friend. You can’t just selfishly decide for all of us to not talk to him anymore. Just talk to him, please.” Jongdae wishes it was that easy. He keeps ignoring Baekhyun.

A consequence of ignoring Baekhyun means he has less people to talk to. All his friends are Baekhyun’s friends. Jongdae isn’t phased. Actions have consequences and he’s just facing the consequence of his own actions. Still, this means he’s spending way more time with Sehun and Jongin than he should be. Not that he doesn’t love those brats, but spending too much time with high schoolers is tiring.

For example, right now. They’ve sent him to Sehun’s shed to get something. He’s not even sure what it is but Sehun and Jongin are insisting they absolutely need it for some project they’re working on. Vaguely worded with a lot of nondescript hand motions, they said it was _‘at the very back of the shed, you just need to go to the very back and you’ll see it.’_ Jongdae is just humouring them at this point. He walks to the very back of the shed, takes one glance, heart rate rising and immediately turns to walk out.

He’s too slow though, and he hears more than sees the door closing and the click of the lock before he can react. “I’m sorry Dae,” he hears Sehun from the other side of the door. “You need to talk to Baekhyun. I’m not letting you out so don’t even beg.”

Jongdae is speechless. He thinks Jongin and Sehun should try out new hobbies that don’t include locking him in secluded areas with Baekhyun.

He looks around, at the ceiling, the gardening tools lining the wall, stares at the ground, everywhere but at Baekhyun.

Finally, when the silence becomes too much to bear, he opens his mouth.

“I can’t be locked here with you.” Is the only thing he can think to say.

Baekhyun frowned again, his eyebrows knitting together. “Is that such a bad thing to you Jongdae?”

Jongdae was feeling an odd sense of deja-vu.

He backtracked. “Yes. N-no. I mean no, it’s... not?” He trailed off, taking in Baekhyun’s narrowed eyes.

“What I mean is,” he started hastily, “You’re here with me and I can’t believe Jongin would do that to…”

He stopped, looking at Baekhyun’s unsettled expression.

“Do you not like being around me?”

“No, it’s just a little uncomfortable and, y’know,” he shrugged off in a vague gesture, mentally berating himself for being such an idiot.

“Have I done something to you? What is it about me that makes you uncomfortable? You’ve been so distant lately and I get the feeling you’ve been avoiding me -- no, I know you’ve been avoiding me. Don’t tell me you haven’t been, I know you better than you know yourself.”

Jongdae turns away. “You wouldn’t want to hear it.”

“And how would you know if I wouldn’t want to hear it? I don’t even know what the issue is! How can we work to fix something if I don’t even know what there is to fix?”

He can see Baekhyun’s eyes getting wider as his voice grows more and more agitated.

So he yells back. “It’s not just one of us who’ve been in this friendship for ten years, okay? I know you better than you know yourself, just like you apparently seem to know me better than I know myself. And the Baekhyun that I know wouldn’t want to hear this.” He can feel his face burning and he wishes he could just walk out of this shed and leave this conversation. Leave Baekhyun and all his damned feelings as well. Damn it Jongin. There’s a hot sensation pricking behind his eyes and he tries to will his tears away.

“Jongdae? Are you okay?” The irritation in his best friends voice changes quickly to concern. “Dae, what’s wrong? Please, tell me what’s wrong. You don’t have to keep it inside you. I’m your best friend.  Why won’t you tell me?”

“Don’t you get it?” his voice is barely a whisper. Baekhyun leans in closer to hear and Jongdae grabs his arm tightly, like a lifeline. “That’s exactly why I can’t tell you. I know you. And I know that’s all you think of me as. A best friend. Just a friend. Baek, you know you mean so much to me, but sometimes I can’t -- I just can’t --” He chokes on a sob.

Baekhyun pulls him into a hug, patting his hair softly as he tries to calm him. Jongdae savours the feeling as tears escape and soak into Baekhyun’s sweater, he wishes they could just stay like this.

“It’s okay, everything will be okay,” he says softly. “Dae, you aren’t making sense. Calm down before you say anything else.”

“I can’t calm down! What about this isn’t making sense?” He quickly steps away from Baekhyun, immediately regretting the loss of warmth.

“I just -- don’t get what you’re saying.”

“That I love you! What is there to get?” Jongdae bursts out. He can feel his heart pounding. This is it. He immediately regrets saying it, but it comes with a sense of relief. Finally, after all these years he can let his feelings out.

“I love you too, Dae -”  

Jongdae’s breath hitches.

“- you’re my best friend. Of course I love you. Is that all? ”

Jongdae almost starts crying again.

“No!” He shouts. “Yes, you’re my best friend. And yes, I love you. But I love you in a different way.”

He takes a deep, shuddering breath. If he doesn’t say it now, he never will.

“I know you don’t want to hear this but I want to kiss you and take you out on dates and hold your hand, I want you to show me off to other people and introduce me as your boyfriend, when you smile I want to kiss the corners of your stupid mouth -- does this not make sense to you? Do you hate the thought of me, loving you in that way so much you want to feign ignorance when I try to tell you? I know you don’t see me that way. But this hurts so much. If you wanted to reject me couldn’t you have told me straight on?”

He’s yelling, loudly at this point. He can’t help it -- Jongdae is loud by nature. Upset Jongdae? Even louder.

He softens his voice. “I don’t want to hear your answer. I know what you’re going to say, Baek, don’t make up something out of pity. I don’t want to hear it.”

Time seems to stop. Jongdae doesn’t know how much time passes but it seems like an eternity passes before Baekhyun opens his mouth to speak.

“I--” A sudden flood of light surrounds the darkened shed.

“I heard a ruckus coming from the backyard, what on earth are you two boys doing in here?” Sehun’s mother is standing at the door, holding a pair of keys. She doesn’t sound as surprised as she should be, _probably used to it_ Jongdae thinks.

“Oh! Mrs. Oh! Thank you so much for rescuing us,” Jongdae steps in smoothly. God just threw him a lifesaver. He’ll take it.  “We got locked into this shed getting something for Jongin, that’s all really. Thank you, again.” He quickly darts out of the shed. “I’ll be going, tell Sehun not to forget about us next time!”

Mrs. Oh studies Jongdae’s retreating figure contemplatively as he runs off and then fixes her gaze on Baekhyun.

“Is he alright?”

“I don’t know.” He says simply.

  
  


\---

  
  


Baekhyun had always been in love with Jongdae.

There was never any doubt about it. It was just another one of those things he had always taken as a fact. The earth rotates once a day. Gravity pulls us towards the ground. Baekhyun was in love with Jongdae.

It was never a sudden realization. He wasn’t hit with a sudden urge to vomit whenever he saw Jongdae. In novels, on TV, people would describe falling in love as getting hit by a train, an explosion of a million stars, but for Baekhyun, falling in love was a process. When Jongdae would patiently help Baekhyun with any work he didn’t understand, eyebrows furrowing and Baekhyun would count the moles on his face instead of paying attention. When Jongdae laughed loudly and the sound bounced off the walls, ringing and loud and warm. And when Jongdae held him closer at night, in his arms when he felt the most secure and Baekhyun pretended to be asleep so he could look at the way his pretty, pretty eyelashes fluttered against his cheekbones as he slept, Baekhyun knew he couldn’t live without Jongdae.

So when Baekhyun was left staring at the empty space in the shed where Jongdae was just standing, wet tear stained patches in his sweater pressing coolly into his skin and an expectant Mrs. Oh staring at him expectantly with her arms crossed, he knew one thing. Jongdae was an absolute fucking idiot.

And he needed to get him back.

  
  


\---

  
  


This was totally fine.

Everything was totally fine.

Jongin shrugged. He guessed he kind of deserved it. Karma for meddling too much he supposed.

Sehun was texting him a panicked, _dude my moms gonna take away my ps4 cuz i locked those two dumbasses in the shed im going to KILL U_

 

_answer me_

 

_ANSWER ME!!!!!!!!!111!!_

 

Jongin turned his phone off.

His brother was lying on his bed passed out after crying too much (what an adult thing to do) and Jongin was about to call Junmyeon because frankly, he didn’t know anything about these kinds of love related problems. He was only fifteen and Wikihow had not been specific enough when he was trying to get his brother laid. Yahoo Answers was no better. He knew he was going to get scolded so bad but he deserved that as well he mused. For meddling so much. And for trusting Wikihow

He was laying a blanket over Jongdae’s curled figure when he glanced out the window and almost let out a scream _WHATISTHAT._

There was a demon. A demon with bright eyes smiling outside his window and waving at him. This was not fine. Everything was not totally fine. He knew he deserved a lot of bad things for messing up Jongdae’s relationships so terribly but he had good intentions, _he only had good intentions_ , God was going too far sending a demon his way.

“Jongin!” the demon whispered. “Let me in!”

“What the fuck…” Jongin was whimpering, ready for whatever terrible fate the demon was about to show him

“ _Baekhyun?!_ ”

“Jongin?!” The other mocked in response.

“ _Shhhh!_ Jongdae is asleep!”

Baekhyun nodded apologetically as Jongin pulled him inside and quickly ushered him into another room.

“Why -- are you here? Why did you stand outside my window? I thought you were a demon!”

“Do demons look as cute as me?” he asked with a cheeky smile. “Anyways,” his voice dropping, “I tried knocking on the door but no one would answer and I saw the lights were on in your room so I really wanted to… I really need to… You know.. Jongdae….” he trailed off.

“Yeah.. Jongdae.” Jongin echoed.

“So…” he started slowly, “You got a plan?”

  
  


\---

  
  


It’s not like Jongdae had never felt miserable before. It was fine. He could just lay in bed and slowly rot away like this. Maybe with time his wounds would heal. His youth and beauty would fade away and finally, as an aged shadow of his former self he would finally be able to be free of this pain and at last --

“Are you done yet?”

“Shut up Jongin,” he mumbled, burying his face even deeper into his bedsheets. “Love hurts… You wouldn’t understand.”

“You’re right. I wouldn’t understand. What I do understand is you’ve been lying in bed, _my bed_ for three days refusing to move and it is more than about time that you get up.”

“Why should I?” he moaned. “I have nothing to live for. I can’t even talk to my best friend about how I’m feeling. You don’t understand, so just go away Jongin.”

Jongin bundles up the blankets and drags Jongdae unceremoniously onto the floor. “Get up Dae! Go take a shower, I can’t stand the smell of you. After you get dressed, we can talk.”

“Talk about what?” he mumbles under his breath, dejection clear on his face. He gets up and drags himself to the shower nonetheless. After a shower and a change into the clothes Jongin hands him, he feels surprisingly refreshed.

“So where are you planning on taking me kiddo?” he jokes, wincing at how flat his voice sounds. Jongin grimaces too, at how dead his brother’s usually upbeat voice sounds.

“Just.. out,” he says vaguely. “It’s good to leave the house when you’re sad y’know? I might not be a love expert but I at least know this. I don’t want you to be so miserable.” Jongdae reaches out to ruffle his hair, tired heart lifting slightly with affection. “I-” he starts hesitantly, “I booked a restaurant for the two of us. It’s a real nice restaurant, cause I really wanted you to get out. That’s why I gave you the -- you know -- nice clothes to get dressed in.”

If Jongdae wasn’t so hung over Baekhyun, he’d be over the moon right now. He hugs Jongin tightly, cooing over _how cute his little brother is_ much to Jongin’s embarrassment. He smiles, the first smile in a few days. “Lead the way Jongin.”

The restaurant turns out to be a ritzy place, the sort with dim lighting and a stage in the front -- probably for live music, lemon slices in the water, and little shell-shaped soaps in the bathroom. Not that Jongdae has been to the bathroom yet -- he’s just assuming. Jongin quickly gets their reservation before excusing himself to go to the bathroom. Hopefully, he has fun with the shell-shaped soaps, Jongdae thinks.

As he stares at the stage, the lights start to dim and the stage lights grow brighter. A performance? That’s always exciting, he thinks mildly. He wonders what it will be.

A waiter comes to the front and speaks into the mic. “Tonight we have a special performance! Today’s performer is singing a song for someone very special to them in the audience right now!” A chorus of _‘awh’s’_ sound through the audience and Jongdae can pick out a few excited voices squealing ‘ _how cute!_ ’ and _‘that’s so adorable!’_. He agrees and wistfully wishes that was him. Someone in the crowd is lucky tonight.

The stage lights grow brighter and Jongdae is _so in disbelief_ he can’t do anything except stare unabashedly.

“This is for someone who I love very much. I wish he knew this as well as I did.”

Jongdae is in shock. He can’t tear his eyes away, can’t register anything except for the soft voice, ringing notes, eye contact -- looking straight at him.  Baekhyun sings tenderly, emotion clear and strong and every note conveys _so much_. More than words can really say. The song passes in a blur, Jongdae’s brain isn’t processing anything that’s happening right now. When the song is over (that went by too quickly) Baekhyun just smiles at Jongdae, looking at him like he’s the best thing he’s seen in his life. This can’t be real.  “Jongdae,” he says into the mic, “Will you be my boyfriend?”

Baekhyun is beautiful and all he can really focus on, he can’t stop staring and Jongdae can’t help it -- he does the only thing he can think of in this scenario. He bursts into tears.

_Jongdae.exe has stopped working. Would you like to troubleshoot?_

  
  


\---

  
  
  


“I would’ve gotten over you,” he says. “It’s fine, you know you don’t have to pretend anything for me?” he forces a smile.

“Did you ever consider,” Baekhyun glares, “ _you absolute idiot_ ,” he mutters under his breath, “that I don’t want you to ever get over me?”

Jongdae smiles again and this time, it’s not forced -- it _is_ a force that takes over his entire face.

Sehun and Jongin are sitting a few booths away watching everything unfold. “ _Finally_ ,” Sehun says, a disgusted look on his face.

**Author's Note:**

> Also late thanks to all the mods running this event and wonderful authors who wrote things!! I'm so happy to be part of this fest even if my work wasn't the greatest. thanks for reading :-)


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